Chapter 27:
A Successful Grand Opening Part 2
The next morning arrived as a cloudless day and brought with it an entire Shrieking Shack full of sleeping or half-unconscious students.
One by one they had dropped like flies throughout the night, the fascinating conversations interrupted by the occasional care of their guests failing to provide the mental fortitude to keep them awake. This was exacerbated by the fact that, for insurance reasons, they couldn't allow the students to actually enter the room where the werewolves were sheltered. Instead, they had to crowd around the doorway and watch as either Grey or Lily tended to their patients while the other narrated what they were doing.
The only interesting thing to have happened overnight was when Romulus, fully transformed, walked around the house to get a glass of water or a snack from the kitchen. It was eerie seeing a werewolf talk in full sentences, made even stranger by the fact his appearance more resembles 1941s Wolf Man than an actual werewolf. It almost looked like intentionally bad makeup.
What kind of mutation was that? And did it involve a Jumanji board?
"We really ought to wake them." Lily interrupted their silent watching of the students.
Harry checked his watch and, indeed, it was the scheduled time to return them to the castle for a weekend of homework and rest.
"Is there really a point? They're just going to crash in their dormitories as soon as they get back." Sirius argued.
"Which will be better for them." Harry decided. "Let's get them out quietly so as not to wake the patients. They need all the rest and recouperation they can get."
They each lightly shook a student awake, or as close to it as they could get in their current state and walked them to the fireplace. Harry had to manually start it - the connection was severed during working hours for obvious security reasons - but once the connection was made Grey went through to her personal quarters to receive them. Not trusting the students to be particularly eloquent Harry threw fistfuls of floo powder in after each of them and enunciated "Hogwarts, Profeessor Grey Quarters" so they wouldn't have to.
With Hermione being the last to leave Harry was left with the company of his volunteers and quests, the quiet snoozing of un-transformed werewolves in the next room competing with the birds for most irksome sounds after pulling an all-nighter.
"Does anybody want some coffee?" Arianna Figg offered, entering the room with a fresh pot.
"Do I look like a flag waving American to you? No, I do not want coffee. I want tea. Strong tea, and a lot of it." Harry answered.
He got a few eye rolls from that, but aside from Lily and Arianna everyone agreed to tea. Bit of a sex war going on there on the coffee vs tea preference, hopefully it remained a cold war for the time being. When wars are fought over tea British soldiers tend to get humiliated, and Harry had too much natural pride to see that happen in his lifetime. As much as Draco... his original Draco would enjoy seeing it.
"So, how long until the day shift arrives?" Asked Sirius as Harry handed him a hot mug.
"Or do you expect us to pull a 48-hour shift?" Peter asked. "We are only volunteers, after all, so you shouldn't work us too hard."
Harry smiled at the good humor.
"They should be arriving by floo soon, then I have a meeting with Schmickleook the fourth to discuss Gringotts' satisfaction with the grand opening." Harry explained. "If they are, I can go looking for plots to start my farm."
"Farm? What does farming have to do with this nonprofit of yours?" James asked.
"Aconite, moonwort and myrrh." Harry explained simply.
"Aaaaaaah." They all exclaimed in understanding.
They settled into the quiet morning. All of them were far too sleepy to continue on with small talk, so they enjoyed their breakfast beverages and watched the world outside of the windows and doors of the Shack.
Speak of the devil! Schmicklehook the second youngest was approaching the gate from Hogsmeade now. Harry waved his hand and deactivated the ward on the gate to allow him in and he stomped up the path towards the open doorway like a soldier on a mission.
"Good day, Mister Morrigan." Schmicklehook the 4th greeted.
"Good day. Would you like some breakfast before we begin?" Harry offered.
Schmicklehook waved him off.
"No, let us get onto business so I can get home sooner and have a REAL breakfast." He said.
"Would you two like us to give you some privacy?" Peter offered.
"Actually, I'm here to interview the rest of you. He is more biased, and you all have stellar reputations amongst goblinfolk." Schmicklehook said. "Except for you, Mr Black. Your credit score could use improving."
Sirius threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
"You miss ONE credit card payment, and they treat you like a convicted mass murderer."
Harry snorted into his tea. Fortunately, his companions all took this as him relating to Sirius' situation, and not the irony of his statement that only knowledge of his home universe' Sirius made sensible.
Schmicklehook ignored their shenanigans as he took a seat and withdrew a clipboard from his sack. Clicking his pen to the "on" position he began his interrgation.
"Were any reporters present at any time over the night?" He asked. "Or tried to be."
They all shared confused glances at the odd question.
"No sir. Nobody approached the facilities through the evening at all." Said Arianne Figg. "Isn't that right dear?"
Sirius nodded and Schmicklhook made a note.
"And was there any period of time where Hadrian Morrigan was not within ear and eye shot of at least one of you?" He continued.
They all had to think on that one.
"He was with us in the guest sitting room for most of the night." Emma Grey said.
"And when he wasn't he was either accompanying me or Arianna on patrols." Sirius added. "Was never more than two meters away from me."
Arianna and Lily both nodded to confirm this.
"So yeah, no reporters. I even made sure to put up beetle detection and repellant wards." Harry quipped.
They all look at him strangely. He supposed he deserved his reputation as an oddball at times.
"Sorry. Inside joke that only I understand. I do that pretty often, actually." Harry apologized. "You'll probably get it later. My being a seer and all, these jokes don't tend to make sense until the subject matter actually happens."
"I actually knew a woman who had ironic foresight." Said Schmicklehook. "Everything she said in jest, tended to come true."
Harry nodded.
"I know for a fact one of my students has such an ability. I have yet to inform him and will avoid doing so until my last day as his teacher." Hary said with a smirk.
Boy was his world's Ron unhappy when Prophecy from the D.O.M informed him of that latent ability. But honestly, when you make offhanded, farfetched jokes like "Maybe that guy who got awards for services to the school murdered moaning Myrtle." and that little joke about "Voldemort hiding behind a bookshelf in Flourish and Blots" it was kind of obvious in hindsight. Shame Trelawney didn't notice it during their time at Hogwarts. After a certain age it's impossible to develop the talent to its full potential, so Ron's divinatory talent withered and died. Thankfully, that cutoff age is 17, so he can secretly assign this world's Ron tasks to "accidentally" bring such humorous predictions out.
Or he just tell him... Nah! Opportunities to pick on your best friend like this don't come every day. Gotta take advantage of it, you know? He hoped this Ron would lie and make up stuff for his dream journal, because Harry would pay VERY close attention to whatever he wrote down.
"And what did Hadrian contribute all night?" Schmicklehook continued.
"Mainly comforted our non-werewolf guests and added his two cents for the lessons to the students." Emma supplied. "He left the medicine and most of the teaching to those of us more knowledgeable on the subject of caring for were-wolves. But do not underplay the value of his keeping our now sleeping guests in the next room entertained and happy."
Lily nodded to confirm these claims.
"What can I say? I'm a people person." Harry explained. "And I recruited these people because I have the utmost faith in their abilities.
Schmicklehook made some more marks on his clipboard and Harry resisted the temptation to reach out and try to read it with his extra senses. Had he really been that reliant on them for so long? An extrasensory ability that was like a combination of sight, hearing and touch was such a useful ability that it made sense he became addicted, but this is ridiculous.
"That covers everything for now. With your permission I would like to remain on the premises for the whole of the day until you discharge everyone this evening." He requested.
Harry shrugged.
"You absolutely may, but I would like to know why."
"To make sure nothing untowards happens, observe how you conduct the place and to make sure no press comes for you to pull a Jimmy Carter." Schmicklehook advised.
Lily finally perked up and added her two cents.
"What did Jimmy Carter do?" She asked.
"Publicity stunting." Harry explained. "Volunteers for charities, particularly habitat for humanity, every year only when there was publicity to it. Made sure to always do it in front of cameras on the ONE week per year he volunteered instead of spending his millions actually doing good for humanity."
"Yes, I was passive aggressively sharing our suspicions that this was all a publicity stunt for future politicking or other social games on Hadrian's part. Would you like a further crash course on the intricacies of goblinoid barbing and other conversational techniques or may Mister Morrigan and I get on with our business?" Schmicklehook demanded.
Harry hid his smile up until the barbing comment, then he couldn't hold it.
"I would have mentioned all that, but I don't want to seem like the most pessimistic person in a room containing two aurors, a potions professor, a Doctor with seventy years of treating horrific medical conditions, a professional fighter and a goblin banker." Harry joked.
The nervous chuckling that filled the room at that told him they definitely had every excuse to be pessimistic people because of the lives they lived and understood his actual meaning.
The fireplace ignited with bright green flames and out came a gentleman so covered in scars from third degree burns that his only describable features were his neon blue eyes. Sirius took one look at the revolver strapped to his hip and whistled Marty Robbins.
"Hah! Big iron is right." Jacob said as soon as he entered.
Already friends with my attempted murderer, are you Sirius?
"Jacob, meet everyone. Everyone, meet Jacob. He's in charge of the day shift as condition for his community service and house arrest." Harry explained.
"Community service? House arrest?" Lily asked with a suspicious glare up and down Jacob's person.
"Yeah. Hadrian talked to the judge on my behalf and she decided him immolating my ass and killing my colleagues was almost justice enough for my trying to kill him." Jacob confessed. "But not trusting me, they put me on house arrest and assigned me community service. The latter to be supervised by the man who decided to take responsibility for me."
Harry nodded along with every word.
"Wait... you're one of that quartet that Voldemort hired to assassinate him?" Lily asked, seemingly not believing her ears.
"That's right." Jacob affirmed, almost cheerfully. "It wasn't anything personal, just a job. Now this is my job. And I appreciate the chance to restart my life in his service."
"Say it." Harry instructed.
"What? Say what?" Jacob asked in confusion.
"Tell them what you are." Harry demanded.
Jacob deflated. Taking a deep breath and letting it out as a sigh, he told them the simple version of events.
"I am Hadrian's bitch. There. Are you happy?" Ge ground out.
"Emminently." Harry said with a shit-eating grin. "And yes, I approved him to carry his firearm, which he is already certified to open carry, although I would prefer it if he kept sidearm concealed."
Jacob looked at him like he was an idiot.
"I don't even keep it loaded right now. It's just for show. It's hard to find a silver 600 nitro express bullets. But when I do, and expect to work during the full moon, I'll load it." He said.
Well, that was ONE way to kill a werewolf. And he was hired to patrol the grounds as a deadly disincentive for anybody with plans to harm his patients while they're recovering and weak from the transformation. Whether they're people intent on murdering werewolves in general, or one of those present specifically, if they come to his facility with evil in their heart they have a bonafied murderer to contend with.
He'd make sure to pull Jacob aside and instruct him to load his gun, as he clearly didn't understand his job.
"And... you are sure you can manage this man, Ha, Hadrian?" James asked, stumbling over his name.
Harry nodded.
"I'll be here all day, and he won't leave my sight or the sight of those who will be coming through that fireplace right... now!" Harry said, snapping his fingers on both hands and pointing to the fireplace.
One second passed. Then another. Then...
WOOSH!
"Heeeeeeey! I nailed it!" Harry joked.
"Psychic powers at work?" Quipped James.
"You know it."
The humor in the room died as the day shift stepped through the threshold. As the second person passed through, every single Marauder present drew their wands. Lily, Emma and Arianna had the good sense to back away.
Before the stunning and binding spells left James, Peter and Sirius' wands Harry released his hold on Ghillie Dhu, if only slightly. The stone floor and wooden walls turned into vines, reaching for and growing towards each other with such speed that the tendrils of stone and fiber crashed into each other with a loud symphony of cracks. The stunner, incarcerous and shield breaker (Really Sirius? Really?!) smashed against the barrier and broke it apart as quickly as it had taken Harry to construct it.
In the amount of time this all took to unfold Jacob and Schmicklehook turned on the three aggressors. Sirius found the barrel of a revolver an inch from his nose while Jacobs other hand held his wand pointed at James' heart. Schmicklehook had withdrawn a dagger from his sleeve and was holding it, tip first, against Peter's inner thigh. Right on the femoral artery.
"I thought you said it wasn't loaded?" Sirius broke the silence.
"I lied." Jacob snarled, drawing the hammer back with his thumb but keeping his finger off the trigger.
Harry kept his focus on the barrier, regrowing it in case the Carrows decided to retaliate.
"You guys okay over there?!" He called through the wall.
"Yeah, just taking cover behind the fireplace." Amycus called back.
"Keep your wands holstered. We have things under control over here." Harry called back, turning his full attention on his father, Peter and Sirius. "I will give you exactly ten seconds to explain. Get started."
And they did. Talking all at once, as he should have expected.
"They're Death Eaters!"
"They butchered an entire family!"
Peter remained silent. A knife against your thigh, and dangerously close to your testicles, will do that to a man.
A small, muffled voice came from the other side of the barrier.
"First of all, I'm not a Death Eater, my husband is." Said Alecto. "And we were exonerated last week in a court of law."
"Thank you, ma'am! Please let me handle this!" Harry called back, before turning on James and Sirius.
They lowered their wands.
"You dare bring your idiotic war into my establishment? A place of peace and healing?" Harry said. "I don't care what ideology, political affiliation, or career they or you hold. Your war ends at that doorstep!"
He paused for effect.
"Actually, no, it ends at that property line." He corrected himself, pointing towards the gate with the bluebell fire jars. "Not that it's any of your business, but Alecto lost her first husband to lycanthropy. His anemia couldn't handle the internal bleeding from the transformation. She has as much of a right to help others afflicted and has just as much of a beautiful motivation as you do with your relationship to Remus. And you would have me deny them that because of your ideological differences?"
A crowd had gathered in the doorway to the living room where they had left the friends and families of the patients, with Viktor at the front.
Harry sighed and undid the barrier, revealing Alecto and Amycus with their hands raised to chest level in a sign of peace. A gesture that Sirius, Peter and James had also adopted before the barrier came down, although that likely had more to do with them being held at gun/wand point.
"Listen, you..."
He was interrupted by the fireplace igniting again, depositing the last two volunteers for the day into the foyer.
"Oh! Are we interrupted something?" Narcissa greeted, surprised by the violent situation she found herself in.
Andromeda came in through the floo behind her, dressed in her mediwitch clothes. She arrived with a cheery demeanor that immediately deflated into one of annoyance and boredom at the scene. For some reason her gaze zeroed right in on her male cousin as if she knew he was solely to blame. It was a wrong assumption, but not an unfair one.
"Ladies." Harry greeted the Black sisters, before turning on the night shift to address Lily, Emma and Arianna "Ladies. Please escort these gentleman home, or at least away from here."
He turned to said gentleman next.
"As for you three, if you are still interested in being a part of this, then we can discuss your ability to do so at a later date. For now, I need you to vacate my property, cool off, and think on what is important here." Harry dismissed them.
They looked stricken and for a moment seemed ready to argue, but a look at the expression on Lily's face silenced all three of them. Lily took the lead in ushering them through the front door and along the path to Hogsmeade. Jacob kept his weapon drawn, though pointed at the ground, as he watched them, only returning it to the holster when they apparated away.
The world paused to catch its breath, but once it did, Harry turned to the new arrivals.
"Narcissa, Andromeda. I'm so glad to see you again." He said with a genuine smile.
They both approached him in turn to give him a hug or chaste kiss on the cheek and the entire entourage was all smiles from there. Harry introduced Narcissa, Andromeda, Alecto and Amycus to Schmicklehook and Jacob in turn.
"Isn't this the man who tried to murder you last Saturday?" Narcissa pointed out.
"And vaporized most of your arm?" Andromeda added.
Harry waved their concerns away.
"Please! If I restricted my social interactions to people who haven't tried to kill me, I'd be a very lonely person. Now let's get to work." AHrry suggested.
He led them to the living room and repeated the process with all of the guests. Jacob excused himself outside to patrol and Harry directed Amycus to accompany him.
"They are welcome to stay and even sleep here until this evening when our lycanthropic friends in the room next door are ready for discharge." Harry explained. "We have actual bedding and a common room upstairs, though most just slept on whatever piece of furniture they were on where they dropped."
It did greatly resemble a hospital sitting room, but more comfortable. It was certainly filled with the same amount of worry as the ER.
"May I see the patients?" Andromeda asked.
Harry motioned to the door to the barracks and nodded at Alecto to join her. Always in pairs. Everybody must always be in a pair.
"May I watch them?" Asked Schmicklehook.
"Yes, but only from the doorway. Insurance, medical licensing, all that good stuff." Harry explained.
"But of course!" Schmicklehook said as if aghast Harry would think he didn't already know that.
Before turning back to the crowd of non-werewolf guests Harry checked his watch. He had 14 hours left until bed. Joy.
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